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Someone Asks Black People To Share The Most Ridiculous Reason They’ve Been Stopped By The Police, They Deliver (30 Tweets)
Racial profiling is a longstanding and deeply troubling national problem many innocent people have become subjected to. It’s when law enforcement and security target people of color in often humiliating, frightening, and inhumane circumstances without any evidence of crime. Not only is it severely damaging to its victims, alienating to communities, and inherently ineffective, it’s also patently illegal.
But despite all the claims that the US now lives in a “post-racial era,” the real-life stories from people of color tell a very different story. So when William Kimeria, a software engineer from San Francisco, asked “Black people, answer this with the most ridiculous reason you have been stopped by police,” on his Twitter, it immediately resonated with many people online.
William’s thread soon went viral, amassing 39.2k likes from people sharing all kinds of heartbreaking stories of being unrightfully disturbed by the police. “Mine is 'not waiting the requisite amount of time between indicating a lane change and changing lanes,'” said the thread’s author, and it became obvious this is just the tip of a giant racist iceberg that rots society from the inside out.
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#3
#6
RaroaRaroa 5 years ago (edited)
For every one of these, there is also someone in the neighbourhood who called the cops for no reason other than "black person present".
#7
Bobert Robertson 5 years ago
My daughter in kindergarten drew up her own ID and gave herself an alias.... I don't think it would fly but it's the only ID she carries...
#8
#12
BlackestDawn 5 years ago
Wait, it was suspicious that they were 18 and not already having a criminal record??? Jeezuz effing crist what is wrong with those people.
#13
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#18
WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago
The cop just saw a black man with a white kid in a car, which is obviously a sure sign of a crime in progress. [sarcasm : off]
#19
Angela Robinson 5 years ago
She was pulled over for smiling, which, apparently is suspicious, while another poster was stopped for not smiling, also suspicious. Disgusting.
#22
Queen Candid 5 years ago
this is terrible. these cops need to be fired... how do they even get away with this stuff?? it's rediculous and disgusting...
#23
Sheila McEnany Markowitz 5 years ago
Yup, up to getting to work on time...a terrible crime. What is wrong with these idiots? How can so many be so ignorant?
#27
BlackestDawn 5 years ago
You "littered" by putting the appropriate item(s) into a recycling container?
#29
WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago
You better be careful with nervous cops. Before you know it they will execute you because "they were in fear of their on life". Valid excuse, dozens of cops have gotten away with it.
#30
denzoren 5 years ago
I once got robbed just outside the gate of my campus, reported it...had to wait about an hour with campus police until they told me they can't do anything since it's "outside of campus" and then went to the police where I was told, "why did you take so long to report it? We can't do anything now". Not once did anyone ask if we (my friend and I) were okay.
Joyce Melton 5 years ago
Both sets of cops lied to you. The first set's jurisdiction includes people who are traveling to or from the school, so you were covered. I've never heard of campus cops who do not have such jurisdiction. The second set of cops just didn't want the paperwork.
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KT 5 years ago
of course its in america.... My husband has a colleague who moved to canada from USA. Told my husband he was shocked how nice the police are here in canada, that in USA he was always pulled over and treated terrible for no reason. I am glad he is in canada with us now hes a very nice man
jknbt jknbt 5 years ago
you people are in liberal fantasy land if you don't think this happens both ways... There is a small town named Ames on Hwy 90. You have to go through it when going east. It is an all-black community with a black judge, black cops, and black juries when called. Everybody knows when going thru Ames to go no more than 50 mph, or you will get a "DWW" (driving while white) ticket. They issue tickets for going 56 mph in a 55 zone. I have heard the same thing happens in certain communities in US-VI. And don't start raging and calling me a racist for pointing this out. It is no more racist than the entire article here.
debrina blackmoon 5 years ago (edited)
Oh, I am definitely prejudiced...against these toxic, pathetic waste-of- cells unnatural disasters of all sorts!!!
MERCI LANGSTON 5 years ago (edited)
Aren't there a lot of shootings at this school? Or there was when my cousin went there.
Aria Whitaker 5 years ago
Depends on the school, at my university, they were full-fledged, armed city police.
Load More Replies... Thomas Biorogue 5 years ago
Probably had nothing to do with race. Maybe you were dressed like a hoodlum. I'm glad they're stopping people to verify students. They arrested several people while my daughter was attending college, who didn't belong on campus. They were dealers and the like. I'm a white guy and was followed around by mall security for 20 mins. till I got ticked and stormed out. My mom told me because I look like a thief. At the time I had long hair and wore like biker clothes and heavy metal shirts and the like. Think I was 17 or 18. It's how I presented myself. Not always has to do with this stuff wrapped around our bones.
#31
Amy Pattie 5 years ago
Didn’t I just see one higher up where the guy got searched for not acknowledging the cops?
#34
Bender Bending Rodríguez 5 years ago
Funny thing ... Same thing happened to me as well. I, a brown man, got pulled over by a black cop for running a light "at the bridge"; only thing is my route didn't had any bridges. I just paid the ticket because I didn't knew better to contest it. I mentioned the colors for a reasons. Take a guess what that reason could be.
#35
Dizzy Falcon 5 years ago
When the cop arrests you and makes you late but says you were arrested for being late
#36
WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago
US cops: White person, obviously intoxicated, starts his car and drives off while fastening his safetybelt and turning on headlights: "Great guy!!!" Black person starts his car: "Wow, crime in progress!! Get out of that car, you f#$king N(&%$$$$!!!!"
#38
Sheila McEnany Markowitz 5 years ago
Because your eyes were drawn to evil? Or to cowardice people with guns who think it is ok to hurt and kill others, because those people don't look as they do?
#39
Draco's Dragonfly 5 years ago
Imagine a kid answering it it's innocence something along the lines of: 'my grandma always has the best cookies in town'......
#44
Lunar Bicycle 5 years ago
“Ma’am, the reason I pulled you over is...well, it’s irrelevant. I’m just a d**k.”
#49
WilvanderHeijden 5 years ago
Yes, he's indeed lucky. 4 racists with guns spell trouble. They just changed from white sheets to blue uniforms.
#54
Canadian in Cornwall 5 years ago
yeah, only your colour fit the description, but that's enough for these cops. My heart aches for all who have to put up with this!
#55
Canadian in Cornwall 5 years ago
Of course ! Because you were clearly casing the neighbourhood ! (sarcasm!)
#60
Amy Pattie 5 years ago
Segregation sounds like it’s alive and real, but the general public hasn’t been told the boundary lines, only policemen
#62
Carol Emory 5 years ago
Welcome to North Carolina. I've seen more racism here in the past 9 years than I ever did in my entire life in Washington State.
#63
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What do you think ?
Sabse 5 years ago
When will all US citizens understand that the US is not the great free country they always brag about?
Kristin Ingersoll 5 years ago
We know. And if we didn't, the daily BP posts about how crappy we are remind us.
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Call Me Mars 5 years ago
I couldn't read all of them, but at least we don't have to say their names. I have been stopped once. I am adopted,, I am black and my parents and sibling are white. My dad took me to the front of a concert and when we came back, Police Officers came up and had their hands on their guns, asking my dad if he was sure I was his kid because "She's black and looks dangerous." I was 6-7.
Christian Bradshaw 5 years ago
"Looks dangerous"? How tf can a seven year old look dangerous?!
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cassiushumanmother 5 years ago
Once i was walking with my 50yo white mother then we passed by policemen checking young colored people. She just rushed toward them, asking outraged: "Do you want to see my ID too? Here is my ID! You don't want to check my ID?!". She was already my hero but this made me even prouder, the policemen faces were priceless.
Batwench 5 years ago
All of these are wrong, so very very wrong. Power corrupts and so does bigotry. I applogise for all us lilly white decent people. We do exist, honest.
Wilf 5 years ago
I have been driving in the UK for 20 years, since I was 17. I haven't been stopped by the police EVER during that time. My best mate who I have known since we were 11 is black. He works for a University and drives a pretty nice but perfectly common Mercedes saloon, pretty similar to my mid-range BMW actually. I have lost count the number of times over the years he said to me "sorry I'm late, got pulled over". It must be a dozen or more. It's just absolutely sickening this happens so much even in a supposedly non-racist country like the UK.
Leo Domitrix 5 years ago
Supposedly is the key word. Canada supposedly isn't racist. US supposedly wasn't supposed to be. Etc etc etc. I'm pretty sure the main thing is that the US is getting the headlines, based on what fam in Canada tell me that is NOT in the world news....
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𝙸'𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚘𝚋! 5 years ago
Words can't describe the way I feel...so instead: 0-978_actu...26-png.jpg 
Curry on... 5 years ago
For the white people who say things like these have happened to them, not just POC, how do you feel about it? What did you do about it? Do you have any stories of whites doing nothing wrong who were beaten or killed by police? I'm seriously interested.
OJ 5 years ago
No member of my (white) family has ever had this happen to them, same for my white friends, and I can’t even recall a time I was pulled over while driving or in the car with a white driver.
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CatWoman312 5 years ago
I got through 30 before I had to stop. This is infuriating. I am white and have never had a bad experience with the police. My experience should be that for everyone. Your skin color only affects your physical appearance it doesn’t define you as a person. This behavior from police, from people needs to stop now.
Red Hair Blue Soul 5 years ago
My husband is black, I'm not. He got pulled over once in his rusty, dusty pick up truck. We live in a mostly white area. Cop gets out gun drawn asking "who's truck is this!" Those were the first words out of his mouth. Didn't ask for a license or registration or say anything about why he was pulled over. I guess black men can't go deer hunting in rural white America.
bryguy 5 years ago
All of these are so bad... it just seems like these cops have either nothing to do at all but to be nit-picky on tiny things like how long a signal light was on for, or many are extremely racist and will find any means to justify being able to flex their power over a person of color. Either way I think it's pretty clear police budgets should be changed to employ more 'peace officers' who deal with non-violent complaints and who have the necessary training to deal with all of these communities that are starting to hate police.
Dispatcherqueen 5 years ago
This was awful to read. I am not surprised by any of these incidents. Just extremely sad. I am so sorry for all of you that you had to experience any of these incidents.
Cori 5 years ago
I literally had a state patrolman stop at my house today and the only emotion I felt as I opened the door was curiosity. He was there to ask if we had a horse out. Reading all of these, it is just surreal how different MY experience is to that of the average black person minding their own business. That is just so deeply and fundamentally wrong and I have no idea how to even begin to fix something so broken.
Cori 5 years ago
Reading this makes me embarrassed, sickened, appalled and so many other emotions. No wonder people of color are chanting 'defund the police.' I don't think it could be any more clear that the entire US policing system needs a major overhaul. Due to my very sheltered and privileged life, I've never been in a position to speak out in any of these kinds of situations, and I can honestly say I had no idea things were THIS bad. I just hope with the recent changes in government leadership, we can pass some meaningful reforms.
Anisah Syed 5 years ago
Made an account just to add to the mess. I'm half black and have encountered some of these instances. One time, I was trying to get to my exit off a highway (only 2 lanes wide per side) and there was a huge SUV in the lane I needed to get into. Got into the next lane and make my exit. Cool. A cop pulls me over because "even though he saw that I was trying to move over safely he didn't think I waited long enough" , which would mean I would miss my exit. I was legit 3 car lengths away from the other vehicle before I merged into the other lane. The second time, about 2 weeks later, I was on an interstate by myself. Saw a car running close to me from behind, then they pulled off a bit , then they went into another lane, then they turned their lights off for some minutes even though we are traveling 65mph together at night. Then they slammed on their brakes, then came close to me again. I exited to the local roads. There was not enough time for both me and this car to exit together since another vehicle was approaching but that other car was right behind and almost slammed into my backside. Turned out the erratic driver was a state trooper that pulled me over for a license plate light being out. The light was not out and operational. Another time, some cops stopped me because the license plate cover hid the slogan of the state, hundreds of cars had license plate covers that hid the slogan in my area alone. I also want to know I was driving a 200s corolla and kept getting stopped at night. If my boyfriend wasn't in the car, not sure if I would have made it out.
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 5 years ago
Whut? the slogan on the plate has to be visible by law? I thought it was just a fun-gimmick on the plates! (not US, so sorry for ignorance)
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Mimi777 5 years ago
This was down in Nashville a few years ago I was with my boyfriend at the time, his best friend, and his girlfriend (white) and I’m also white. We got pulled over for a tail light being out. One cop pulled us over and shortly after 2 more cars came. Two cops came to the passenger side window where I was sitting and the girlfriend was sitting directly behind me. They asked us if we were ok and asked us how we knew the guys. They said if we need to step out to talk to them in private we can. I was confused as to why we were being asked these questions. They let us all go after they wrote a ticket for the tail light. And the girlfriend and I were talking out loud about how weird that was and my boyfriend said “it’s because we are black and y’all are white.”
Robert Thompson 5 years ago
Oakdale, California, USA. Cowboy capital of the World. Been stopped more than 10 times for having my trailer ball obscure the view of my license plate. Nearly 10% of the trucks in this town have this same offence, but I get pulled over for it.
Yvonne Riggs 5 years ago
These stories amazed and horrified me. I feel I've been walking through my life not only with privilege but with blinders
Daniel Marsh 5 years ago
Running on a college campus. I must be running from something, right? I couldn't possibly be trying to get out of the winter, Albany weather as fast I could? Driving EXACTLY the speed limit. I looked to cautious. Driving 20 in a 25 MPH zone. This time, the cop flat out acknowledged the real reason is that my car was the same make as one reported stolen in the area... even though the plates didn;t match at all. Oh... I'm white.
Dan E 5 years ago
I was once pulled over because the plates in my car didn’t immediately come back on a random plate check. I had just purchased the car from my grandmother. Know what happened to me? Same thing that happened to everyone else here. Oh, they had their hands on their guns when coming up to my window too. Know how to not get into trouble with the cops? Follow orders and be polite. I’ve been pulled over multiple times in my life. Once my muffler was too loud because it was falling off. Once for rolling through a stop sign. For the aforementioned time. And another because my tab was hard to read. I only got a ticket on the stop where I mouthed off to the cop. 😐
Curry on... 5 years ago
Lots followed orders and still had to deal with b.s. Do a little research and don't be so quick to imply that people who got shot by cops were doing something wrong.
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Biana Vacker 5 years ago
This makes me sick. It's so unfair and clearly racist, yet nothing is done about it. I would never be stopped in my car for "aggressive eye contact" or "suspicious posture". Disgusting
Hova Rhinhold 5 years ago
Got pulled over for "failure to stop before leaving a driveway" once. Another time pulled over and asked if I had any bats in the car. I told him they were asleep and only fly off at night. Got felony stopped on that one. By the way... I'm white as f**k. Asshole cops are assholes to everyone.
Sasha Kuleshov 5 years ago
Oh yeah, just like the time a police officer questioned me for carrying a big bag of groceries on the street, because who in their right mind would walk from the store to their house, right?? :I
Lunar Bicycle 5 years ago
Maybe all black people should wear body cams. Then researchers can randomly select footage from a bunch of people and say, “See? Here are five black people committing crimes...and ten thousand more black people doing nothing wrong at all and just trying to live their damn lives. You know, like everyone else.”
Mewton’s Third Paw 5 years ago
Sitting in the car as a passenger. I got pulled over for a broken tail light and my boyfriend was with me. Cop just gives me a ticket and then made us sit there for an hour while he harassed my boyfriend about his identity. Literally for just sitting in the car during a normal traffic stop. I had another friend back in 2007 who was shot multiple times and killed by the cops for picking up his wallet.
Tracy Sellars 5 years ago
I have only read 8 so far and I'm so angry. What the actual F@$k. Seriously you reading this from the US your country is f@$ked in the head and so are all of you who sit around allowing this to happen. There is nothing great about your country. Get your f@&kin country sorted out.
Jenn Marriott 5 years ago
This is utterly painful to read. As a white cis female, I have had a few instances with the police and nothing like this has ever happened to me. Not even close. It took me until 2020 to truly understand what white privilege really is. I apologize for the fear and anxiety that any poc has had to endure. The simple fact that you have to teach your children to interact with the police differently due to racial profiling is abhorrent. It's long past time for change!
Rick Seiden 5 years ago
I'm a white dude who's has some idea of how cops target black people (of course I don't know what it's like) and knows it's not right. I'm also a white dude with an anxiety disorder. This triggered my anxiety at about number 3, but I forced myself to read them all. There is so much wrong in the US right now. So much wrong.
Draco Malfoy 5 years ago
god these are sickening. the idea that people hire people like this, and do nothing about it is disgusting. people that are this blatantly racist should have no position of authority over anyone
Leo Domitrix 5 years ago
My mom taught me, "WE ALL BLEED RED". Unfortunately, my mom didn't teach the *world*.
devi L. 5 years ago
These are so messed up I'm so many ways. I'm brown and I got stopped because I have a small tree freshener hanging in my rear view mirror, stopped another time for a "tail light that's out" and was told because he stopped me he have to give me a ticket for something, another time stopped because I "ran a light" the officer tried to tow my car saying I don't have insurance the card I have isn't valid. I had to walk to a printing shop and get one faxed. He gave me a time limit before he towed it. Then some hours later he went to my house and dropped off two tickets in my mailbox. Court wouldn't believe that.
El Dee 5 years ago
These all boil down to one single reason, racism. Cops using their power to harass people, making their lives miserable purely because they can and they want to. Since George Floyd was murdered it has become apparent, even to white people, just how racist society actually is. There is nothing like experiencing this hatred, however, but I think there is a little more understanding than there was. People are shocked..
Daria B 5 years ago
Since George Floyd's case? That certainly started a new wave for sure, but the awareness you're talking about has been there even 20 years ago and before. I remember because I was old enough. None of this is new.
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Gabby M 5 years ago
If you're disgusted by these events, then don't just read it and move in. Do something more. Educate yourself, educate others, talk about race and equity--even when it's uncomfortable--learn when to listen and when to speak, volunteer at a non-profit. The only way we can change the system is through collective action.
deanna woods 5 years ago
All I have ever wanted in my life is to be able to live without fear and what's going on right now is making that very difficult. I live in a small town in Texas and have had to go through some situations like the ones in this article. I have also had the privilege of knowing some of the sweetest and most capable members of law enforcement. All I want everyone to take from this is that these things happen. They have happened for many many years. All lives matter, absolutely, but not all lives are being taken on a daily basis for ridiculous reasons. My father was throwing newspapers and had four carloads of police officers sent to figure out what he was doing. A white man actually pulled a gun on my father and nothing happened to him. There is good in every race and there is bad in every race. It's time for all people to come together to do something about that.
ShareMusic 5 years ago
Police should be trained, fingerprinted, and state licensed/certified just like other professionals, such as teachers, plumbers, etc. Police who violate protocols and certification standards should lose their certification. This would include all government security/police forces such as deputies, sheriffs, patrol officers, etc. Nearly any licensed/certified professional who exhibited these types of behavior would be immediately dismissed. Police have way too much protection. If a city was 40% black and 50% white and 10% other, then the demographics of those receiving tickets would match so that 40% of those tickets would be black, 60% would be white, and 10% would be other. If the propotions do not match, then something is clearly ethically and morally wrong. Malcolm Gladwell's book, "Talking to Strangers," explains how policing in the U.S. has evolved downward over the past several decades. It's a must read, especially for police trainers and those who oversee policing.
Dark Pigeon 5 years ago
This is just painful to read, and I am just reading it!! Can't even understand how it is to life like that, every-single-f*****g-day! You would think that a country that is so full of itself would change s**t around ... I don't know.. 100 years ago? Absolute bullshit all of this, really. Just makes me wanna come over and give them what for!!!!
Demon Child 5 years ago
Moral of the story? When you see a cop in public, get down on your knees w ur hands in the air (To make them CoMfOrTaBle ArOuNd A bLaCk PeRsOn) and smile like a fcking idiot
Curry on... 5 years ago (edited)
Well, there was this one football player who took a knee, and he was called an Son if a B
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Mathias Karittke 5 years ago
In the laaaaannnd of the freeeeeee and the hoooome of the braaaaaaaave. E pluribus unum.
Steve Wilson 5 years ago
I’m convinced that the Number 1 job of Klan members is ‘cop’. They do this s**t just to one-up their Klan buddies on the force. Btw, I’m white.
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 5 years ago
No, that's too simple. I'm really sure that many of the cops don't even notice their own bias. Of course, there are always bastards who DO know and want it that way, but there's probably many who just learned that Black = dangerous/criminal. And why did they learn that? Well, thought-experiment: you train with a veteran cop. You two pull over 100 people, and 50 of them have some criminal/misdemeanor on their name. Now, of those 100 people, 80 are not-white. Even if the criminal/non-criminal rate in everyone pulled over is 50:50, you would have a much greater percentage of non-white people being caught as criminals. Not because they have more criminal behaviour, but simply because you check them more often! And young cops learn that bias even subconsciously, and they see "Oh, wow - our statistics show that non-white people are more likely to be criminals, so I'll have to pull them over more often!" and so they repeat the circle while white criminals go about (often) unbothered.
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Kashmir 5 years ago
I've tried for years to find it in my heart to give cops the benefit of the doubt but no more!! These stories make me physically ill!!!!
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 5 years ago
I'm not trying to justify anything, but a lot of times, it's probably a self-fulfilling prophecy for the cops. They *think* that the non-white people are more likely to do something wrong, so they pull them over more often statistically. And because they pull over more non-whites, they automatically find more non-white people with some warrant or other legal issue that way. Which confirms their (wrong) belief that the non-whites are more criminal because 'Colour'. Even if they start their job with clear intentions of being good and fair, the more 'evidence' they find about their profiling, the more they'll profile and it gets worse and worse.
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TrashPandaru 5 years ago
To anyone who was rightfully outraged, and to every anti-racist reading this, I wanna invite you to join the anti-racism Facebook group, Let's Talk About Racism. Join us for discussion, discourse, support and endless opportunities to educate yourself as a not-black ally. We recently had an interview with Levi Roots and will be hoping to have further conversations with other well known black personalities. facebook.com/groups/282366472851179/?tsid=0.1877232829583635&source=result
TrashPandaru 5 years ago
The group is run by black people btw, it's not a cringe virtue signally white person thing
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Jackie Porter 5 years ago
Racism is evil and it's horrendously common in the US it seems. I can't understand why police don't undertake de-escalation training and discrimination training (as it not to discriminate rather than discriminate which is what they seems to be trained to do).
K Witmer 5 years ago
I once slightly hit a car in the rear. It was my fault the driver of the car was a black man. I'm a white women. I was 23 at the time. The cop gave the the man a ticket for harassing me and I got asked on a date. I did not get a ticket even though I admitted it was my fault and all the guy did was knock on my window for insurance information. The man then sued me and I had to get a lawyer. The man dropped the suit right after my lawyer talked to him. I asked him how he did that. He said he told the man no one will believe an N word over a cute white women. I was so young and stupid I did not know how to react or know what to do to make it right. I was afraid to report bc both the lawyer and the cop kept asking me out. The cop even showed at my apartment where I lived alone scariest and most confusing thing ever. I can't imagine what that man felt. It's been 25 yrs and I still feel gross about it all.
Jods 5 years ago
Is it a pre-requisite for getting a job as a US cop to be so downright racist? It’s not OK for me to want to rant and rave at these posts - that’s not going to do any good. What I want to know is how we from the rest of the world can do something to physically change things? And how the hell can a cop mistake a gun for a taser?
Thomas Biorogue 5 years ago
Ok, white people, name the dumbest reasons you've been pulled over by the police. Everyone has been pulled over for stupid s**t. My buddy and I, both white, heading back to our base in Ft. Stewart, GA. Somewhere back roads.. Got pulled over, middle of the night, because...ready? One. ONE of the license plate lights was out and the other was "too dim to see." Now, we're both in our fatigues and handed over driver's license. Cop no lie, told us that "Outsiders aint none to welcome around here. Might be best you move along and don't come back through this area." After they had got us out of the car, handcuffed us and searched us and car. We just played it cool, trying to be as respectful as we could until they let us go. One of the scariest times I've had. I've been pulled over numerous times for some stupid ass stuff. "Your vehicle matched a description" etc. Quit making everything about race.
Bryan Hamilton 5 years ago
So why don't we ask white people the same question?? I got pulled over once because I was driving too close to the white line and when he approached me he said that people who drink ride that line. I hadn't had a sip of alcohol so I was let go but I didn't make a big deal about it.
ivan bolitekurac 5 years ago
I am white and have been stopped by the police for ridiculous reasons.Where is my lollipop?
Noemie Houtekie-N'Da 5 years ago (edited)
America is a good country. We have things and abilities other countries don't. Go check Africa for example. Not one government there is not corrupt. I wish this could be posts from people from every race who were hurt by the police. Most police by the way are good people and not racist. You can find bullies everywhere. All I want is for people to understand that America is a land of opportunity and that not all police are bad. I really want to cry because America is being shown like this. I'm not kidding. I'm really not. If no one wants to stick up for America, I will. It's my home. I've been raised here my whole life. I'm mixed, half black half white. I've never been bullied and I'm bully worthy. I'm going to prolly be downvoted into oblivion, but all I ask is that you think about what I have to say before. Thank you and God bless you, all of you.
OJ 5 years ago
It’s okay to love the good parts about your county and still acknowledge it’s shortcomings. Just because the US has more opportunities than some countries doesn't mean it’s the best and can’t improve in any way. On another note, maybe you should do a little research before painting all of Africa as a monolith. Not all of Africa is corrupt, just like how the entire US system is not perfect. It’s okay to be patriotic and still acknowledge systemic issues <3
Load More Replies... Logic and Reason 5 years ago
In the United States, it takes more training to be a hairdresser than a cop. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not insulting hairdressing, but hairdressing doesn’t involve always being armed and getting into physical altercations.
??? 5 years ago
In my experience, the best chances you have are ones you display. Wear appropriate clothing, keep music at inside car levels, do not walk or ride in areas that have a history of crime, have identification on you, listen to the cops(walking out of jail pissed is better than being the next cop victim story). Whining about it does not help. Want to stop the trend? stop the trend on your end. No one has ever been in trouble with the law for staying away from the situation.
Marnie 5 years ago
The most ridiculous reason I was pulled over was for changing lanes. I worked 3rd shift. I got on the freeway. It was always almost empty. As always, I got on, then changed lanes into the left lane. Very relaxing for a 15 mile drive when there is no traffic. I used my turn signal to change into each lane. I got pulled over for something like "changing lanes like a mad woman". The officer was REALLY angry at me, and I didn't know why. I was honestly a bit scared. She said I didn't have a seatbelt on, but the car was so old it only had a lap belt. She was literally hopping mad at me. She got another call and left, so that was that. I'm white.
Joseph OReilly 5 years ago
This post makes me want to have an opinion on Facebook... AND DEFEND IT
elStiJneriNO 5 years ago
you was stopped for speeding when you were actually speeding?
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Draco Malfoy 5 years ago
nobody ever said that black people are the only ones being targeted. they are however, the majority targets of cops due to their skin color.
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Wilf 5 years ago
So long as "Good" police officers are allowing bad police officers to remain as their colleagues, then they are ALL the problem. It ain't enough to simply be "not racist". They have to be ANTI-RACIST.
Load More Replies... Sabse 5 years ago
When will all US citizens understand that the US is not the great free country they always brag about?
Kristin Ingersoll 5 years ago
We know. And if we didn't, the daily BP posts about how crappy we are remind us.
Load More Replies... Call Me Mars 5 years ago
I couldn't read all of them, but at least we don't have to say their names. I have been stopped once. I am adopted,, I am black and my parents and sibling are white. My dad took me to the front of a concert and when we came back, Police Officers came up and had their hands on their guns, asking my dad if he was sure I was his kid because "She's black and looks dangerous." I was 6-7.
Christian Bradshaw 5 years ago
"Looks dangerous"? How tf can a seven year old look dangerous?!
Load More Replies... cassiushumanmother 5 years ago
Once i was walking with my 50yo white mother then we passed by policemen checking young colored people. She just rushed toward them, asking outraged: "Do you want to see my ID too? Here is my ID! You don't want to check my ID?!". She was already my hero but this made me even prouder, the policemen faces were priceless.
Batwench 5 years ago
All of these are wrong, so very very wrong. Power corrupts and so does bigotry. I applogise for all us lilly white decent people. We do exist, honest.
Wilf 5 years ago
I have been driving in the UK for 20 years, since I was 17. I haven't been stopped by the police EVER during that time. My best mate who I have known since we were 11 is black. He works for a University and drives a pretty nice but perfectly common Mercedes saloon, pretty similar to my mid-range BMW actually. I have lost count the number of times over the years he said to me "sorry I'm late, got pulled over". It must be a dozen or more. It's just absolutely sickening this happens so much even in a supposedly non-racist country like the UK.
Leo Domitrix 5 years ago
Supposedly is the key word. Canada supposedly isn't racist. US supposedly wasn't supposed to be. Etc etc etc. I'm pretty sure the main thing is that the US is getting the headlines, based on what fam in Canada tell me that is NOT in the world news....
Load More Replies... 𝙸'𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚘𝚋! 5 years ago
Words can't describe the way I feel...so instead: 0-978_actu...26-png.jpg
Curry on... 5 years ago
For the white people who say things like these have happened to them, not just POC, how do you feel about it? What did you do about it? Do you have any stories of whites doing nothing wrong who were beaten or killed by police? I'm seriously interested.
OJ 5 years ago
No member of my (white) family has ever had this happen to them, same for my white friends, and I can’t even recall a time I was pulled over while driving or in the car with a white driver.
Load More Replies... CatWoman312 5 years ago
I got through 30 before I had to stop. This is infuriating. I am white and have never had a bad experience with the police. My experience should be that for everyone. Your skin color only affects your physical appearance it doesn’t define you as a person. This behavior from police, from people needs to stop now.
Red Hair Blue Soul 5 years ago
My husband is black, I'm not. He got pulled over once in his rusty, dusty pick up truck. We live in a mostly white area. Cop gets out gun drawn asking "who's truck is this!" Those were the first words out of his mouth. Didn't ask for a license or registration or say anything about why he was pulled over. I guess black men can't go deer hunting in rural white America.
bryguy 5 years ago
All of these are so bad... it just seems like these cops have either nothing to do at all but to be nit-picky on tiny things like how long a signal light was on for, or many are extremely racist and will find any means to justify being able to flex their power over a person of color. Either way I think it's pretty clear police budgets should be changed to employ more 'peace officers' who deal with non-violent complaints and who have the necessary training to deal with all of these communities that are starting to hate police.
Dispatcherqueen 5 years ago
This was awful to read. I am not surprised by any of these incidents. Just extremely sad. I am so sorry for all of you that you had to experience any of these incidents.
Cori 5 years ago
I literally had a state patrolman stop at my house today and the only emotion I felt as I opened the door was curiosity. He was there to ask if we had a horse out. Reading all of these, it is just surreal how different MY experience is to that of the average black person minding their own business. That is just so deeply and fundamentally wrong and I have no idea how to even begin to fix something so broken.
Cori 5 years ago
Reading this makes me embarrassed, sickened, appalled and so many other emotions. No wonder people of color are chanting 'defund the police.' I don't think it could be any more clear that the entire US policing system needs a major overhaul. Due to my very sheltered and privileged life, I've never been in a position to speak out in any of these kinds of situations, and I can honestly say I had no idea things were THIS bad. I just hope with the recent changes in government leadership, we can pass some meaningful reforms.
Anisah Syed 5 years ago
Made an account just to add to the mess. I'm half black and have encountered some of these instances. One time, I was trying to get to my exit off a highway (only 2 lanes wide per side) and there was a huge SUV in the lane I needed to get into. Got into the next lane and make my exit. Cool. A cop pulls me over because "even though he saw that I was trying to move over safely he didn't think I waited long enough" , which would mean I would miss my exit. I was legit 3 car lengths away from the other vehicle before I merged into the other lane. The second time, about 2 weeks later, I was on an interstate by myself. Saw a car running close to me from behind, then they pulled off a bit , then they went into another lane, then they turned their lights off for some minutes even though we are traveling 65mph together at night. Then they slammed on their brakes, then came close to me again. I exited to the local roads. There was not enough time for both me and this car to exit together since another vehicle was approaching but that other car was right behind and almost slammed into my backside. Turned out the erratic driver was a state trooper that pulled me over for a license plate light being out. The light was not out and operational. Another time, some cops stopped me because the license plate cover hid the slogan of the state, hundreds of cars had license plate covers that hid the slogan in my area alone. I also want to know I was driving a 200s corolla and kept getting stopped at night. If my boyfriend wasn't in the car, not sure if I would have made it out.
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 5 years ago
Whut? the slogan on the plate has to be visible by law? I thought it was just a fun-gimmick on the plates! (not US, so sorry for ignorance)
Load More Replies... Mimi777 5 years ago
This was down in Nashville a few years ago I was with my boyfriend at the time, his best friend, and his girlfriend (white) and I’m also white. We got pulled over for a tail light being out. One cop pulled us over and shortly after 2 more cars came. Two cops came to the passenger side window where I was sitting and the girlfriend was sitting directly behind me. They asked us if we were ok and asked us how we knew the guys. They said if we need to step out to talk to them in private we can. I was confused as to why we were being asked these questions. They let us all go after they wrote a ticket for the tail light. And the girlfriend and I were talking out loud about how weird that was and my boyfriend said “it’s because we are black and y’all are white.”
Robert Thompson 5 years ago
Oakdale, California, USA. Cowboy capital of the World. Been stopped more than 10 times for having my trailer ball obscure the view of my license plate. Nearly 10% of the trucks in this town have this same offence, but I get pulled over for it.
Yvonne Riggs 5 years ago
These stories amazed and horrified me. I feel I've been walking through my life not only with privilege but with blinders
Daniel Marsh 5 years ago
Running on a college campus. I must be running from something, right? I couldn't possibly be trying to get out of the winter, Albany weather as fast I could? Driving EXACTLY the speed limit. I looked to cautious. Driving 20 in a 25 MPH zone. This time, the cop flat out acknowledged the real reason is that my car was the same make as one reported stolen in the area... even though the plates didn;t match at all. Oh... I'm white.
Dan E 5 years ago
I was once pulled over because the plates in my car didn’t immediately come back on a random plate check. I had just purchased the car from my grandmother. Know what happened to me? Same thing that happened to everyone else here. Oh, they had their hands on their guns when coming up to my window too. Know how to not get into trouble with the cops? Follow orders and be polite. I’ve been pulled over multiple times in my life. Once my muffler was too loud because it was falling off. Once for rolling through a stop sign. For the aforementioned time. And another because my tab was hard to read. I only got a ticket on the stop where I mouthed off to the cop. 😐
Curry on... 5 years ago
Lots followed orders and still had to deal with b.s. Do a little research and don't be so quick to imply that people who got shot by cops were doing something wrong.
Load More Replies... Biana Vacker 5 years ago
This makes me sick. It's so unfair and clearly racist, yet nothing is done about it. I would never be stopped in my car for "aggressive eye contact" or "suspicious posture". Disgusting
Hova Rhinhold 5 years ago
Got pulled over for "failure to stop before leaving a driveway" once. Another time pulled over and asked if I had any bats in the car. I told him they were asleep and only fly off at night. Got felony stopped on that one. By the way... I'm white as f**k. Asshole cops are assholes to everyone.
Sasha Kuleshov 5 years ago
Oh yeah, just like the time a police officer questioned me for carrying a big bag of groceries on the street, because who in their right mind would walk from the store to their house, right?? :I
Lunar Bicycle 5 years ago
Maybe all black people should wear body cams. Then researchers can randomly select footage from a bunch of people and say, “See? Here are five black people committing crimes...and ten thousand more black people doing nothing wrong at all and just trying to live their damn lives. You know, like everyone else.”
Mewton’s Third Paw 5 years ago
Sitting in the car as a passenger. I got pulled over for a broken tail light and my boyfriend was with me. Cop just gives me a ticket and then made us sit there for an hour while he harassed my boyfriend about his identity. Literally for just sitting in the car during a normal traffic stop. I had another friend back in 2007 who was shot multiple times and killed by the cops for picking up his wallet.
Tracy Sellars 5 years ago
I have only read 8 so far and I'm so angry. What the actual F@$k. Seriously you reading this from the US your country is f@$ked in the head and so are all of you who sit around allowing this to happen. There is nothing great about your country. Get your f@&kin country sorted out.
Jenn Marriott 5 years ago
This is utterly painful to read. As a white cis female, I have had a few instances with the police and nothing like this has ever happened to me. Not even close. It took me until 2020 to truly understand what white privilege really is. I apologize for the fear and anxiety that any poc has had to endure. The simple fact that you have to teach your children to interact with the police differently due to racial profiling is abhorrent. It's long past time for change!
Rick Seiden 5 years ago
I'm a white dude who's has some idea of how cops target black people (of course I don't know what it's like) and knows it's not right. I'm also a white dude with an anxiety disorder. This triggered my anxiety at about number 3, but I forced myself to read them all. There is so much wrong in the US right now. So much wrong.
Draco Malfoy 5 years ago
god these are sickening. the idea that people hire people like this, and do nothing about it is disgusting. people that are this blatantly racist should have no position of authority over anyone
Leo Domitrix 5 years ago
My mom taught me, "WE ALL BLEED RED". Unfortunately, my mom didn't teach the *world*.
devi L. 5 years ago
These are so messed up I'm so many ways. I'm brown and I got stopped because I have a small tree freshener hanging in my rear view mirror, stopped another time for a "tail light that's out" and was told because he stopped me he have to give me a ticket for something, another time stopped because I "ran a light" the officer tried to tow my car saying I don't have insurance the card I have isn't valid. I had to walk to a printing shop and get one faxed. He gave me a time limit before he towed it. Then some hours later he went to my house and dropped off two tickets in my mailbox. Court wouldn't believe that.
El Dee 5 years ago
These all boil down to one single reason, racism. Cops using their power to harass people, making their lives miserable purely because they can and they want to. Since George Floyd was murdered it has become apparent, even to white people, just how racist society actually is. There is nothing like experiencing this hatred, however, but I think there is a little more understanding than there was. People are shocked..
Daria B 5 years ago
Since George Floyd's case? That certainly started a new wave for sure, but the awareness you're talking about has been there even 20 years ago and before. I remember because I was old enough. None of this is new.
Load More Replies... Gabby M 5 years ago
If you're disgusted by these events, then don't just read it and move in. Do something more. Educate yourself, educate others, talk about race and equity--even when it's uncomfortable--learn when to listen and when to speak, volunteer at a non-profit. The only way we can change the system is through collective action.
deanna woods 5 years ago
All I have ever wanted in my life is to be able to live without fear and what's going on right now is making that very difficult. I live in a small town in Texas and have had to go through some situations like the ones in this article. I have also had the privilege of knowing some of the sweetest and most capable members of law enforcement. All I want everyone to take from this is that these things happen. They have happened for many many years. All lives matter, absolutely, but not all lives are being taken on a daily basis for ridiculous reasons. My father was throwing newspapers and had four carloads of police officers sent to figure out what he was doing. A white man actually pulled a gun on my father and nothing happened to him. There is good in every race and there is bad in every race. It's time for all people to come together to do something about that.
ShareMusic 5 years ago
Police should be trained, fingerprinted, and state licensed/certified just like other professionals, such as teachers, plumbers, etc. Police who violate protocols and certification standards should lose their certification. This would include all government security/police forces such as deputies, sheriffs, patrol officers, etc. Nearly any licensed/certified professional who exhibited these types of behavior would be immediately dismissed. Police have way too much protection. If a city was 40% black and 50% white and 10% other, then the demographics of those receiving tickets would match so that 40% of those tickets would be black, 60% would be white, and 10% would be other. If the propotions do not match, then something is clearly ethically and morally wrong. Malcolm Gladwell's book, "Talking to Strangers," explains how policing in the U.S. has evolved downward over the past several decades. It's a must read, especially for police trainers and those who oversee policing.
Dark Pigeon 5 years ago
This is just painful to read, and I am just reading it!! Can't even understand how it is to life like that, every-single-f*****g-day! You would think that a country that is so full of itself would change s**t around ... I don't know.. 100 years ago? Absolute bullshit all of this, really. Just makes me wanna come over and give them what for!!!!
Demon Child 5 years ago
Moral of the story? When you see a cop in public, get down on your knees w ur hands in the air (To make them CoMfOrTaBle ArOuNd A bLaCk PeRsOn) and smile like a fcking idiot
Curry on... 5 years ago (edited)
Well, there was this one football player who took a knee, and he was called an Son if a B
Load More Replies... Mathias Karittke 5 years ago
In the laaaaannnd of the freeeeeee and the hoooome of the braaaaaaaave. E pluribus unum.
Steve Wilson 5 years ago
I’m convinced that the Number 1 job of Klan members is ‘cop’. They do this s**t just to one-up their Klan buddies on the force. Btw, I’m white.
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 5 years ago
No, that's too simple. I'm really sure that many of the cops don't even notice their own bias. Of course, there are always bastards who DO know and want it that way, but there's probably many who just learned that Black = dangerous/criminal. And why did they learn that? Well, thought-experiment: you train with a veteran cop. You two pull over 100 people, and 50 of them have some criminal/misdemeanor on their name. Now, of those 100 people, 80 are not-white. Even if the criminal/non-criminal rate in everyone pulled over is 50:50, you would have a much greater percentage of non-white people being caught as criminals. Not because they have more criminal behaviour, but simply because you check them more often! And young cops learn that bias even subconsciously, and they see "Oh, wow - our statistics show that non-white people are more likely to be criminals, so I'll have to pull them over more often!" and so they repeat the circle while white criminals go about (often) unbothered.
Load More Replies... Kashmir 5 years ago
I've tried for years to find it in my heart to give cops the benefit of the doubt but no more!! These stories make me physically ill!!!!
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 5 years ago
I'm not trying to justify anything, but a lot of times, it's probably a self-fulfilling prophecy for the cops. They *think* that the non-white people are more likely to do something wrong, so they pull them over more often statistically. And because they pull over more non-whites, they automatically find more non-white people with some warrant or other legal issue that way. Which confirms their (wrong) belief that the non-whites are more criminal because 'Colour'. Even if they start their job with clear intentions of being good and fair, the more 'evidence' they find about their profiling, the more they'll profile and it gets worse and worse.
Load More Replies... TrashPandaru 5 years ago
To anyone who was rightfully outraged, and to every anti-racist reading this, I wanna invite you to join the anti-racism Facebook group, Let's Talk About Racism. Join us for discussion, discourse, support and endless opportunities to educate yourself as a not-black ally. We recently had an interview with Levi Roots and will be hoping to have further conversations with other well known black personalities. facebook.com/groups/282366472851179/?tsid=0.1877232829583635&source=result
TrashPandaru 5 years ago
The group is run by black people btw, it's not a cringe virtue signally white person thing
Load More Replies... Jackie Porter 5 years ago
Racism is evil and it's horrendously common in the US it seems. I can't understand why police don't undertake de-escalation training and discrimination training (as it not to discriminate rather than discriminate which is what they seems to be trained to do).
K Witmer 5 years ago
I once slightly hit a car in the rear. It was my fault the driver of the car was a black man. I'm a white women. I was 23 at the time. The cop gave the the man a ticket for harassing me and I got asked on a date. I did not get a ticket even though I admitted it was my fault and all the guy did was knock on my window for insurance information. The man then sued me and I had to get a lawyer. The man dropped the suit right after my lawyer talked to him. I asked him how he did that. He said he told the man no one will believe an N word over a cute white women. I was so young and stupid I did not know how to react or know what to do to make it right. I was afraid to report bc both the lawyer and the cop kept asking me out. The cop even showed at my apartment where I lived alone scariest and most confusing thing ever. I can't imagine what that man felt. It's been 25 yrs and I still feel gross about it all.
Jods 5 years ago
Is it a pre-requisite for getting a job as a US cop to be so downright racist? It’s not OK for me to want to rant and rave at these posts - that’s not going to do any good. What I want to know is how we from the rest of the world can do something to physically change things? And how the hell can a cop mistake a gun for a taser?
Thomas Biorogue 5 years ago
Ok, white people, name the dumbest reasons you've been pulled over by the police. Everyone has been pulled over for stupid s**t. My buddy and I, both white, heading back to our base in Ft. Stewart, GA. Somewhere back roads.. Got pulled over, middle of the night, because...ready? One. ONE of the license plate lights was out and the other was "too dim to see." Now, we're both in our fatigues and handed over driver's license. Cop no lie, told us that "Outsiders aint none to welcome around here. Might be best you move along and don't come back through this area." After they had got us out of the car, handcuffed us and searched us and car. We just played it cool, trying to be as respectful as we could until they let us go. One of the scariest times I've had. I've been pulled over numerous times for some stupid ass stuff. "Your vehicle matched a description" etc. Quit making everything about race.
Bryan Hamilton 5 years ago
So why don't we ask white people the same question?? I got pulled over once because I was driving too close to the white line and when he approached me he said that people who drink ride that line. I hadn't had a sip of alcohol so I was let go but I didn't make a big deal about it.
ivan bolitekurac 5 years ago
I am white and have been stopped by the police for ridiculous reasons.Where is my lollipop?
Noemie Houtekie-N'Da 5 years ago (edited)
America is a good country. We have things and abilities other countries don't. Go check Africa for example. Not one government there is not corrupt. I wish this could be posts from people from every race who were hurt by the police. Most police by the way are good people and not racist. You can find bullies everywhere. All I want is for people to understand that America is a land of opportunity and that not all police are bad. I really want to cry because America is being shown like this. I'm not kidding. I'm really not. If no one wants to stick up for America, I will. It's my home. I've been raised here my whole life. I'm mixed, half black half white. I've never been bullied and I'm bully worthy. I'm going to prolly be downvoted into oblivion, but all I ask is that you think about what I have to say before. Thank you and God bless you, all of you.
OJ 5 years ago
It’s okay to love the good parts about your county and still acknowledge it’s shortcomings. Just because the US has more opportunities than some countries doesn't mean it’s the best and can’t improve in any way. On another note, maybe you should do a little research before painting all of Africa as a monolith. Not all of Africa is corrupt, just like how the entire US system is not perfect. It’s okay to be patriotic and still acknowledge systemic issues <3
Load More Replies... Logic and Reason 5 years ago
In the United States, it takes more training to be a hairdresser than a cop. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not insulting hairdressing, but hairdressing doesn’t involve always being armed and getting into physical altercations.
??? 5 years ago
In my experience, the best chances you have are ones you display. Wear appropriate clothing, keep music at inside car levels, do not walk or ride in areas that have a history of crime, have identification on you, listen to the cops(walking out of jail pissed is better than being the next cop victim story). Whining about it does not help. Want to stop the trend? stop the trend on your end. No one has ever been in trouble with the law for staying away from the situation.
Marnie 5 years ago
The most ridiculous reason I was pulled over was for changing lanes. I worked 3rd shift. I got on the freeway. It was always almost empty. As always, I got on, then changed lanes into the left lane. Very relaxing for a 15 mile drive when there is no traffic. I used my turn signal to change into each lane. I got pulled over for something like "changing lanes like a mad woman". The officer was REALLY angry at me, and I didn't know why. I was honestly a bit scared. She said I didn't have a seatbelt on, but the car was so old it only had a lap belt. She was literally hopping mad at me. She got another call and left, so that was that. I'm white.
Joseph OReilly 5 years ago
This post makes me want to have an opinion on Facebook... AND DEFEND IT
elStiJneriNO 5 years ago
you was stopped for speeding when you were actually speeding?
Load More Replies... Draco Malfoy 5 years ago
nobody ever said that black people are the only ones being targeted. they are however, the majority targets of cops due to their skin color.
Load More Replies... Wilf 5 years ago
So long as "Good" police officers are allowing bad police officers to remain as their colleagues, then they are ALL the problem. It ain't enough to simply be "not racist". They have to be ANTI-RACIST.
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